Worth 1,000 words: Faces of the week

Meet Cucho and Tilico, a bonded pair of 2-year-old, male Chihuahua mixes surrendered to PHS/SPCA months ago and then, soon after, selected for our TAILS program due to their shy personalities which kept them from attracting serious attention from adopters. TAILS (Transitioning Animals Into Loving Situations) is a unique (and, now, nationally recognized) partnership between PHS/SPCA and the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office; shelter dogs with behavioral issues but real “potential” are paired with inmates in a minimum security facility for eight weeks. In addition to weekly sessions at the inmate facility led by Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA animal behavior professionals, inmates are responsible 24/7 for everything from class homework, to grooming, exercise and socialization.

To date, 28 dogs have graduated from TAILS and been placed into new loving, permanent homes. Cucho and Tilico — taught a bit more confidence and self-esteem at the hands of their inmate trainers, a positive and rewarding experience for all involved — are the only two grads who are still seeking homes. Since a new class started, they have come back to the shelter. Their ideal home would be with a person or family who wants to adopt both of them together and a home with children well into school-age years.